26 April 2024
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Viscount Survivors

Viscount Survivors


59 of the 444 Viscounts built survive as complete airframes or major components. Some are in very good condition and are looked after by museums while others are just wrecks. They can be found in 24 countries.

Viscount history

Letter from HRH Prince Philip

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records and photos

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by David Carter


Discover the history of the Viscount with film, video, contemporary reports from the pages of Flight Magazine, our newsletters, and aircraft operational records and photos from our database.


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Featured pages

Our website contains over 20,000 pages of photos and information that can all be accessed from the menu at the top of every page. Here are a few to get you started.


In the Beginning

The Turboprop World-Beater

Sir George Edwards

The Rolls-Royce Dart

c/n 1 G-AHRF V.630
The Prototype Viscount

c/n 2 VX217 V.663
The Tay powered Viscount

c/n 3 G-AMAV V.700
The V.700 series prototype

c/n 4 G-ALWE V.701
The first BEA Viscount

c/n 5 G-ALWF V.701
The oldest surviving Viscount

c/n 8 F-BGNK V.708
The first Air France Viscount

c/n 30 EI-AFV V.707
The first Aer Lingus Viscount

c/n 40 CF-TGI V.724
The first TCA Viscount

c/n 44 VH-TVA V.720
The first TAA Viscount

c/n 67 YI-ACK V.735
The first Iraqi Airways Viscount

c/n 70 CF-GXK V.737
The first Canadian DoT Viscount

c/n 71 VP-TBK V.702
The first BOAC Associated
Companies Viscount

c/n 74 G-ANRR V.732
The first Hunting-Clan Viscount

c/n 77 LN-FOF V.736
The first Fred Olsen Viscount

c/n 79 IU-683 V.723
The first Indian Air Force Viscount

c/n 88 N7402 V.744
The first Capital Airlines Viscount

c/n 97 VH-BAT V.747
The first Butler Air
Transport Viscount


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Established 2005
Vickers Viscount Network
A Virtual Museum dedicated to the Vickers-Armstrongs VC2 Viscount
   

Viscount c/n 287

Operational Record

Photo of Viscount c/n 287
Capital Airlines (USA)


United States flag United States

This V.745D series Viscount was built for
Capital Airlines (USA) as N7476

It first flew on Sunday, 8 December 1957 at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England powered by Rolls-Royce Dart 510 engines.

Photo of Viscount c/n 287
Capital Airlines (USA)


United States flag United States

Its final owner/operator was
Capital Airlines (USA) as N7463.

Its fate:-
Crashed at Chase, Maryland, USA after encountering severe turbulence on a service from La Guardia Airport, New York, USA to Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, Atlanta, Georgia, USA 12 May 1959.

The Investigation Board determined that the probable cause of this accident was a loss of control of the aircraft in extreme turbulence resulting in an involuntary steep descent following which aerodynamic loads from a high airspeed, recovery, and turbulence exceeded the design strength of the aircraft structures.


Operational record
Photo of Capital Airlines (USA) Viscount N7476

Country of Registration United States

January 1957 to January 1958

Capital Airlines (USA)

N7476 - c/n 287 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

August 1954
Order for V.745 and V.745D aircraft placed by Capital Airlines.

This was the 71st Type 745 and the 74th Viscount ordered by Capital Airlines.

Production Aircraft No. 234 - the 234th production 700 series Viscount built,
was the 173rd Viscount fuselage assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England,
and the 189th Viscount assembled at Hurn, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

Production Order No. F71/745. Sales Order No. F04/4C. Stock Order No. F04/36B.

24 August 1955
A drawing showing the cabin seating arrangement was approved and issued.by Capital Airlines and showed 11 rows of 2 + 2 seats with two toilets at the front, one on each side and a large galley at the rear.

circa March 1957
The original purchase by Capital Airlines with fleet number '394' was not completed.

4 April 1957
Fuselage assembly commenced at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

27 May 1957
Fuselage to Erecting Shop 'E' at Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England.

26 November 1957
First engine run.

6 December 1957
First flight from Hurn Airport, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England in bare metal condition still registered as N7476.

January 1958
Re-registered as N7463 for the eventual sale to Capital Airlines. This registration and fleet number '381' had previously been used on Capital Airlines Viscount c/n 225.


Photo of Capital Airlines (USA) Viscount N7463 *

Country of Registration United States

January 1958 to May 1959

Capital Airlines (USA)

N7463 * - c/n 287 - a V.745D series Viscount
United States registered

January 1958
Re-registered from N7476. This registration and fleet number '381' had previously been used on Capital Airlines Viscount c/n 225.

25 January 1958
Delivered to Capital Airlines with fleet number '381' fitted with integral front 'airsteps' and weather radar.

circa 1958
Large registrations on the rear fuselage appeared after the use of small registrations on the tail were banned by the newly formed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

12 May 1959
Crashed at Chase, Maryland, USA after encountering severe turbulence on a service from La Guardia Airport, New York, USA to Atlanta Municipal Airport, Georgia, USA.

Flight 75 taxied away from the terminal building at La Guardia Airport, New York, USA at 15:20 which was 20 minutes later than scheduled. It took off from runway 22 at 15:29 and climbed to its cruising altitude of 14,000 feet and onto the assigned airway Victor 3.

At 16:02 Flight 75 contacted air traffic control at Washington Center, reporting over Westchester and estimating Westminster at 16:17, with Herndon next. In the same message it advised, "… ah, we've got a pretty good string of thunderstorms along that course … ah, if we could stay in the clear and stay a little bit south of Westminster, is that O.K. with you?" The center controller replied "Capital 75, that'll be all right and report passing Westminster." The flight acknowledged.

At 16:10 the flight advised, "Ah, Washington Center, this is Capital 75, we've reduced to one seven zero knots account rough air." This was the last message from the flight. Just three minutes later the aircraft lost control in an area of severe turbulence and entered a steep descent.

The aircraft probably reached an airspeed in excess of 335 knots, which is 15 percent in excess of the Viscount never-to-exceed speed or about 5 percent in excess of VD, the maximum speed demonstrated in certification.

At an altitude of approximately 5,000 feet both horizontal stabilisers simultaneously failed downwards and separated from the tail section. The aircraft then pitched down violently resulting in all four Rolls-Royce Dart RDa6 Mark 510 engine nacelles breaking away in an upward direction from the combined inertia and gyroscopic loads. Immediately thereafter both wings were subjected to extreme downloads until the starboard wing separated and the structural integrity of the port wing was exceeded.

With the engine nacelles, starboard wing, and both stabilisers gone, drag induced by the port wing yawed the fuselage violently to the left. Forces to the left tore off the vertical fin with portions of the fuselage attached, the latter already weakened when the port stabiliser stub tore away. During the subsequent gyrations the port wing broke up, its fuel cells were opened and a flash fire occurred. At the same time the remaining fuselage section disintegrated.

Sadly all 27 passengers and 4 crew were sadly killed.

PROBABLE CAUSE: The Investigation Board determined that the probable cause of this accident was a loss of control of the aircraft in extreme turbulence resulting in an involuntary steep descent following which aerodynamic loads from a high airspeed, recovery, and turbulence exceeded the design strength of the aircraft structures.

Total time 4,180 hours and 3,000 total landings.


Photo of BEA - British European Airways Viscount G-AOJC

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Information@VickersViscount.net.


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This website has been designed, built and is maintained by Geoff Blampied, Norwich, Norfolk, England.